1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus or tool to open and close a meter ring such as a meter ring used to secure a glass cover around an electric or gas meter. The ring is disposed around the glass cover to prevent tampering of the meter by a subscriber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electric or gas meters generally include an indicator dial so that the meter may be read to determine the consumption of electricity or gas for billing a subscriber. In order to make the reading of the meter accessible to the meter reader, yet prevent the subscriber from tampering with the meter, such as by turning back the meter reading or disrupting the recording of the electric or gas consumption, the meter and in particular the dial indicator is generally enclosed by a glass cover.
The cover is formed as a cylinder having an open end and a closed end. The open end of the glass cover is locked in position around the meter by a split meter ring having ends extending outwardly from the ring. The ring is generally formed of steel and with the ends of the meter ring held together by a nut and bolt combination. The ends of the meter ring typically includes openings so that additional locking devices and/or a seal may pass between the ends. The seal must be broken in order to remove the meter ring so that a broken seal indicates that the meter has been tampered with.
In the prior art, the meter ring has been in general, installed or removed through the use of hand strength by the meter installer. That is, the meter ring is pulled open to be slipped around the cover and to be properly seated in position. The ends of the meter ring are then squeezed together, either by hand or by a conventional tool such as a pair of pliers, in order for the nut and bolt combination to be engaged to lock the meter ring in position. When the meter ring is to be removed, the reverse procedure is used to spread apart the ends of the meter ring to release the meter ring from its seated position.
For both operations of opening and closing the meter ring during installation and/or removal, the meter installer must exhibit considerable hand strength and such hand strength may not be present with a significant percentage of meter installers, especially since a higher percentage of installers are now female.